FOODS OF TURKEY
Look at these naughty, playful apricots as they stick their tongues at us in this popular Turkish dessert! Turkish apricots are a bit chubbier. Fill them with a little cream, top with sprinkles of pistachios, and there you have a classic dessert that is sure to please your sweetheart. You don’t have to wait a year for another Valentine’s Day to be romantic. And you certainly don’t have to be a chef to prepare this!
If you plan to serve a larger group, calculate about 5 apricots per person and multiply the quantities above to make sure you have enough for everyone. Ultimately the measurements of the ingredients will depend on how big your apricots are, how hungry your audience is and of course how stuffed they end up after you prepare them!
First buy the dried apricots. Try to find Turkish ones, or ones that still look plump and fresh. Soak the number of apricots you have decided to use in water, for about 10-15 minutes or overnight if they are quite dry. When ready to start preparing, dissolve the sugar in water in a small saucepan, as you start to warm it up. Add the apricots. Water should cover the apricots completely (about 2 cups). Lower the heat. As you boil them for about 20 minutes, start preparing the pistachios. Remove the shells and crush them. As this dessert is also a little bit about presentation and colors, try to use green pistachios or remove their dried skill as you crush them.
After 20 minutes of boiling, remove the apricots from the stove, take them out of the water and let them cool, all spread out on a plate. When they are cool to the touch, open their mouths and fill each with cream. (Lucky apricots! You can wait your turn!) Don’t let it overflow too much or let the cream cover the two lips of the apricot as the color contrast is important for presentation. Place the filled apricots on a plate for serving and sprinkle them with crushed pistachios.
As you taste them, you will notice that this unique combination of cream and apricots complemented with the crunchy pistachios is indeed addictive, especially when it is freshly made. I found it hard to resist eating them all before I started taking pictures for you to see. As long as you wrap this dessert in plastic and don’t let the apricots or the cream filling dry out, it keeps surprisingly well and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Happy Valentine’s day everyday!
Enjoy!
Meltem
Recipe: Playful Apricots with Cream and Pistachios
Feb 17, 2010
You didn’t use all your apricots and wondering what to do with them? Well, eat them as dried fruit for a healthy snack, or cook them with lamb for a naturally sweetened stew. Whatever you choose to do with them, they won’t go to waste, while you wait for the sun filled fresh apricots to arrive in the markets again.
Ingredients:
Sugar (White or brown, 3 tbsp)
Dried Turkish Apricots (20)
Pistachios (unsalted, 1/4 cup crushed or handful with shells)
Sweet cream (1.5 cups, kaymak, Turkish cream or heavy whipping cream)
If you use other types of cream like mascarpone or creme fraiche, make sure what you use is sweet cream and not sour, and it is dense, not watery. Also, don’t try to skimp by getting low fat!